5 Uses for old tights

Most people chuck tights away when they rip, ladder, go saggy etc. but as you may have noticed by now, I struggle with throwing anything away. Reusing things doesn’t mean you’re old or a fuddy-duddy it means you can pay off your debts, save yourself money or spend your money on better things. Like shoes.

Somethings go without saying listing, use them to quickly wipe down a mirror or shining off your shoes and of course everyone uses their tights to rob the local branch of Natwest when they’ve had a run in their tights, no? Just me?*

5 uses for old tights

1. Cut a loop from the leg and use as a hair band whilst putting your make up on & taking it off. You can also do the same with thick tights and use it as an eyemask if you’re sleeping in a bright room.

2. Store wrapping paper.

3. Make cedar sachets to keep moths out of your wardrobe. Cut a loop from the tights about 5 inches long. Turn inside out and sew one side closed add cedar chips and sew the other end shut.

4. Fill a foot with cheap oats the tie the rest of the leg around the hot tap of your bath. It makes for a delicious, moisturising bath.

5. If you lose something small like an earring or hair grip put an leg from an old pair of tights over the end of your hoover, secure with an elastic band and hoover the area of floor where you dropped it. The item will be picked up without being sucked into the machine.

* I have never robbed a bank. Apart from that one time but y’know I served my time and I’m reformed.

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Comments

Brillant, love numbers 2 & 4 will definitely be using them. I save some of mine for my mum, she uses them to tie bak her roses and other climbing plants as they don’t damage the stems like wire or string.

I have often used cut up stockings/tights for kids hairbands very cheap get heaps and doenst matter when they get lost.They are also great to cut and use to tie plants if they need support.Oh I see someone just mentioned that too lol

Good tips! Did you know…old tights are good for storing home grown onions. Fill the legs with the onions and tie a know between each one so that they don’t touch and voilá onion storage! This stops them getting damp and mouldy, plus you can hang them up to keep them dry.

my mum always used to keep tights if they only had one leg laddered, when she had 2 she’d chop off the offending leg and wear both ‘pairs’ togeather – no ladders, good legs still used! she also used to give them to the neighbour, he worked painting cars and they used them for straining paint. I’ve used them in the lab for storing tubes in liquid nitrogen!

Until the advent of squeezy soaps, I always used to take a bar of soap in a tights-leg when we went camping – you could tie it to the water bottle and could wash your hands without the soap dropping in the grass and leaves…

Do you know what? In southern France, I heardly ever wear tights! Once or twice I’ve actually needed an old pair for something and regretted the climate, but only then…

Genius! especially the wrapping paper one! Oh and don’t forget that game you played as a child with a tennis ball in the leg of a tights which you bounced against a wall or against the ground.And what about cutting off the feet (if hole in the toe) and making footless tights. Or if a ladder, cut the legs off and make pop socks!

I worked in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for a year. They collected old tights from several WIs in the area for using to tie plants to posts, for example tying an orchid flower stem to a supporting stick! They have just the right amount of elastic and won’t bruise your plants. I’ve used them ever since for this!

Brilliant ideas – especially, for me, the cosmetic hairband idea. Oats in a foot no good as I don’t ever take baths these days (haha- only have a shower). But the absolute best suggestion is for a facemask. I’m off to rob our local NatWest. Those bankers had it coming.

These ideas are great. If you have a couple of pairs of the same shade with ladders you can cut off the affected leg of each and wear them as one pair. *Disclaimer – I have never tried this, but might be worth remembering in a hosiery emergency!

I also remember my mum had a craft book book from the 70s which suggested plaiting them all and then winding into a rag rug type affair…am sure it would be dreadful but it sounds about my level of craft!

OUR SCHOOL Collects Tights from the girls ,[High School] but we are overloaded with donations of Black Opaque Tights !! they are all stored away under the stage covered in dust..must be 7 black bin bags full !! 300 pairs . we only expected a few pairs..[cutting up for school garden and making rag rugs] regards jean.

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